If you’ve ever gone stone or “beach” glass hunting, you know it is a lovely way to “waste” an afternoon. What’s better than wandering down a beach, hearing the wash of waves, feeling the water cool your feet, soaking in the warmth of the sun, and occasionally glancing up at the gorgeous horizon of Lake Michigan? Whether it’s calm and sunny or a storm is raging over the mighty waters, pulling them ever higher, the Great Lakes and their shores are a wonder to behold. From peaceful to terrifying, they always evoke some emotion. And if you’re looking for Petoskey stones or beach glass, there’s a certain sense of treasure along with the usual beach experience. The glass is often hard to come by, and Petoskey stones can be difficult to see for some people, so there is that sense of joy and discovery when you come across them. If you’re a long-time or lifelong resident who has always loved looking for these special stones, then you likely have learned to spot them dry or wet. There’s something pretty interesting about Petoskey stones – in actual fact, not just in looks.
If you remember your studies in school, you know that the Petoskey stone is Michigan’s state stone. Although, it isn’t just a stone. It’s considered fossilized coral. So, they are a stone, a piece of coral, and a fossil. Cool. But coral in the Great Lakes? Apparently, so. At least, once upon a time. Hexagonaria percarinata: fossilized rugose coral. Once living coral, these cool looking stones are now the skeletons of those now dead coral. So when you hold one in your hand, you’re holding an ancient piece of dead coral. Makes you look at them differently, doesn’t it? Some of these coral colonies were as big as a house, so if you’re lucky, you can see huge sections of Petoskey stone.
How did they form? Basically, where once there were salted seas, then land, then an ice age, and during the years of the ice age, the piling weight of snows, sand and clay filling in the spaces, and the repeated pushing of the ice eventually turned the coral skeletons into stone. Interesting stuff. Sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, ground off their rough edges and deposited them in the northwestern (and some northeastern) portions of Michigan's lower peninsula. This is still happening. The movement of the frozen lake ice on our shores during winters causes more of the stones to be dragged up and left on the shores. Good news for collectors – we’ll never run out! Well, I suppose eventually, maybe…Some people liken the coral skeleton stones to suns, which could stem from where they got their name. Native Americans named them after Chief Petosegay, which means “rising sun”.
(When you’re picking up rocks, just remember, it’s illegal to remove more than 25 pounds of rocks from the Great Lakes! One Manistee County man dragged out a 93 lb. Petoskey stone near Northport, which ended up confiscated by State conservation officers – be careful what you post online, lol.)
So, what’s being like a Petoskey stone supposed to look like? When I was thinking about how I’d like to take my granddaughters for a Petoskey stone search day (one of them loves Petoskey stones), it made me think about how when we’re young we think we have to be ready for life, for action, for everything. We think we have to be smart, but don’t always want to take the time to learn. We want to just know it all, NOW. We want to be perfect physically, but we never can be. We want to be wise, but gaining wisdom is a process of failing and succeeding. It takes time. Sometimes beauty comes later, sometimes our beauty changes, but more likely our outlook makes us realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder – or what’s inside and not outside. We learn sooo many things over the years; and it takes time to learn. It takes time to get wiser, more knowledgeable, kinder, to learn we can’t know it all, can’t be it all, can’t see it all…and the Petoskey stones show this. Their long process of creation was longer than we can comprehend. Obviously, we don’t have that kind of time, but we can stop selling ourselves short by thinking we’re born perfect, born ready, born knowledgeable, and remember that life is a process. Life is a never-ending schoolroom, a never-ending opportunity to learn, to experience, to be. Let’s be patient with ourselves and let time beautify us and round off our edges. Being perfected takes time. We do have our part to play in it. There are few short cuts that are worth what we lose along the way, because this life takes time. Ask a 70 or 80+ year-old some questions, and I think you’ll find they learned later in life to relax and enjoy life and wished they’d learned sooner that there’s no point in stressing over trying to be a super human.
Anyone who has seen a Petoskey stone, knows that when they’re dry their distinct markings are drastically muted, almost invisible, but when they are wet or polished, their unique pattern appears. They have a bit of magic. Like us. Each human, bearing similar structures, yet unique markings and personalities. Inside and out: the same, yet different. Be a Petoskey stone: let yourself be slowly grown and perfected, polished to a bright sheen. And, like the Petoskey stones, it’s okay to be a little different – because that’s how we are made! The wonders of being human is that we are made of “Petoskey stone material”. Each unique in their own way.
A little fun: Okay, I have to say it - someone out there is laughing and thinking to themselves, “Yeah, I’m a fossil, all right.”
If you want to try and find a few yourself, they are located mostly on beaches or dunes in Michigan. The best places to look are on the beaches between Traverse City and Petoskey.
Below is a picture of Petoskey and Charlevoix (smaller patterned) stones with some beach glass and an interesting fossil - have a look.
Comentários